After being diagnosed with spinal stenosis, many patients ask whether it can be reversed. In some cases, it can. This degenerative condition is characterized by a gradual narrowing of the spinal canal over time. A common reason for spinal surgery, spinal stenosis often becomes apparent after age 50, when an individual first begins to notice leg pain, numbness or tingling that worsens with walking or standing and improves with bending forward or sitting. Spinal stenosis is usually caused by a combination of factors, such as aging and repetitive activities, which can lead to considerable wear and tear on the spine. The narrowing occurs as spinal degeneration produces excess tissue in the form of bone spurs, bulging discs or inflamed joints. Even though this excess tissue takes up crucial space within the spinal canal (which houses the spinal cord and a series of nerve roots), it generally produces no symptoms unless the overcrowding results in painful pressure on the spinal cord or a spinal nerve root. Additionally, if symptoms develop, they tend to intensify very slowly. In response, many people simply make lifestyle adjustments that allow them to live with the condition in the background. When spinal stenosis symptoms occur – even if they are mild – it’s important to see your therapist for a prompt and accurate diagnosis. The reason is twofold. First, these symptoms can also indicate other health conditions that require treatment, such as poor circulation (peripheral vascular disease) or diabetic neuropathy. And second, if the symptoms are traced to spinal stenosis, the condition will continue to progress if left untreated, potentially leading to serious complications like limited mobility and incontinence. Oftentimes, mild to moderate discomfort associated with spinal stenosis can be successfully managed with lifestyle changes and conservative measures like physical therapy, weight management, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, postural improvements and pain relievers. Surgery is always the treatment of last resort, reserved only for patients who experience severe or worsening symptoms despite conservative treatment. A surgeon may be able to reduce pressure on the spinal cord or nerve root by removing part of the tissue that is encroaching the spinal canal. However, it is important to keep in mind that surgery is not necessary for the majority of patients, mainly because they are able to find relief through nonsurgical measures. While no treatment can undo the degenerative changes associated with spinal stenosis, with proper treatment you can fully resolve all symptoms related to stenosis and prevent it from progressing.
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my name is Carolina sanchez and I would like to do what ever possible to try and reverse my spinal stenosis. Could you all help me please because I don’t want surgery.please say you can helpme please.
Good afternoon Carolina. Sorry to hear that you are dealing with stenosis. Surgery for stenosis is always the last resort. Luckily, there are several treatment options. Commonly a course of oral steroids and activity restrictions are the first recommendations made by physicians. If this doesn’t help frequently patients are referred to a physical therapist for a formal evaluation and treatment of areas where they may be weak or tight in order to take pressure off of the spine. In certain instances even orthotics can help. Consultation for possible epidural injection can be effective if physical therapy alone does not yield enough relief. If you live in the Buffalo area I would be happy to take a look to see if physical therapy could help. If you are not in our neck of the woods then I could also refer you to someone with good credentials who happens to be closer to your home. Feel free to reach out. I would be happy to help in any way that I can.
I am 58 years old and have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease as a result of several traumatic incidents to my back and aging of course my friend is considering introducing me to yoga and also to taking glucosamine 1500 mg per day is recommended to me by a good friend I am going to be seeing an orthopedic and a spinal surgeon again very soon after several incidents involving trauma to my back if you can recommend someone who takes Cal Med or mid calf in the Los Angeles area I would very much appreciate it thank you very much, doctor
Good morning Anne. Unfortunately we are located in Buffalo, NY and I am unfamiliar with Cal Med as well the surgeons in the LA area. I would recommend two courses of action. First, consider contacting your physician and see who he/she recommends. Often they are familiar with who takes various insurances. Secondly, you could reference the customer service phone number on the back of your insurance card to inquire regarding surgeons who might be participating with your plan in the LA area. I hope that helps you some. Good luck. Matt
I had the surgery and it did help for a few months but the issue continues with the continued enlargement of the stenosis. The chronic pain I suffer has led to many other issues. One is overwhelming anxiety, anger, depression and emotional trauma. I no lk her have a primary care doctor as he retired and no other doctor in the sea is taking new patients. At end of rope
Sorry to hear. Has the surgeon said that there is still some swelling? Sometimes it can take a while for the bones to fuse and swelling can persist. I would be curious to hear. Keep me posted.
I am a 80 year old women that has Spinal Stenosis in my lower back. I had a nerve block 2 years ago which helped with the pain and incontinence until 6 months ago, the incontinence started again and my legs feel numb ,also charley horses in my legs when I lay down. I had a Epidural in my back yesterday (12-12-18 ) so far with not much success . I’ll give it a few weeks to see if it will help,but I know it’s not a permanent fix. Any suggestions ?
The rest is a good idea. The earliest that any improvement should be expected is by the 3rd day but often 10 to 14 days are where the medication is doing its most work. A 3 week window of time to evaluate the effect is recommended. Hopefully it will be equally effective. If not I recommend that you work with your physician to modify your plan of care and explore other options to compliment your injection.
Hi, i have a few cervical herniations, main one is c6-c7 severe stenosis…others mild. I have had pain in upper back/lower neck area. PT has lessened the pain but now im experiencing mild numbing in my right leg …no pain. Could this be from neck area issues as well? No bladder issues, walking is fine however the area below my right knee began to feel achy/tender.
The short answer to your question is “yes” but given the information you provided it is very improbable. If a cervical disc herniation were to be responsible for any lower extremity symptoms it would have to press upon the spinal cord itself resulting in a myriad of other symptoms inclusive of bowel and bladder dysfunction, generalized lower extremity weakness, and more diffuse sensory loss. That being said, if every time you flex or protrude the cervical spine your right leg goes numb then some attention must be paid. The most likely of circumstances is that their is a lumbar nerve root compression, compression somewhere along the sciatic nerve in the right lower extremity, or some other from of neuropathy. I hope that this clarifies you situation some. I would recommend consulting with your physician if your condition fails to improve with a little more time.
I have spinal stenosis. I have been working out for 36 years, however find now that when I do my usual routine, I am in a great deal of pain afterwards. I know exercise is good, yet it precipitates pain for me. Also, if I don’t get to the gym, I will feel more pain. I know there must be a happy medium. I don’t know if I should see a rheumatologist and get an Xray, to get an accurate picture of what is happening in my spine. I just started seeing a Physical Therapist and he is very against pain meds or surgery, which I agree with and only take ibuprofen or naproxen under extreme situations. Usually, I just bear the pain. Any input would be appreciated.